Muscles Muscle: organ that can relax, contract, and provide the force to move your body parts Energy is used and work is done More than 600 muscles in the body
Can you think of an activity you do that doesn’t require muscles?
No! As long as you are alive, your muscles are still moving Digestive system, beating heart, and breathing all require moving muscles
Muscles are divided into 2 main categories – can you name them?
Voluntary muscles Muscles you are able to control Used when you lift your leg, move your pencil, raise your hand, etc.
Involuntary muscles Muscles you can’t control consciously Control activities such as pumping blood through blood vessels and moving food through digestive system
Muscle tissue Muscles are made of tissue There are 3 types: can you name them?
Skeletal muscle Muscles that move bones Most common muscle type Attached to bone by tendons: thick bands of tissue Look striped/striated when you look at them under a microscope Contract quickly and tire more easily Are skeletal muscles voluntary or involuntary?
Voluntary
Skeletal muscle
Smooth muscle Found in intestines, bladder, blood vessels, and other internal organs Not striated (striped) Involuntary Slowly contract and relax, do not tire easily
Smooth muscle
Cardiac muscle Makes up the walls of the heart Striated like skeletal muscle Involuntary like smooth muscle Contracts about 70 times per minute
Cardiac muscle
How muscles work Always pull, never push Often work in pairs (one contracts while the other relaxes) Can become larger or smaller over time depending on how they are used Need energy to contract and relax Contracting muscles release mechanical energy (movement) and thermal energy (heat)
Assignment – pick one! Write a poem comparing and contrasting the three types of muscle Draw a picture of the human body’s muscular system. Label 2 places where you can find each of the 3 muscle types and explain how you know you can find them there Use clay to make a model of each muscle type. Your models must clearly show the identifying features of that type of muscle Due Friday, 2/11
What is the largest organ (not solid) in the human body?
What are the 3 layers of the skin?
Epidermis Outer, thinnest layer Outermost cells are dead and water repellent Cells rub off constantly
Dermis Middle layer Contains blood vessels, nerves, muscles, sweat glands
Fatty layer Innermost layer Insulates the body
What is melanin?
Melanin Pigment that protects skin and gives it color Lighter skin tones mean you have less melanin Less melanin means less protection from sun’s rays
What does skin do for your body?
Main functions of the skin Vitamin D formation Heat and waste exchange Protection Rids body of waste Sensory response
Bruises Blood vessels under skin burst Blood cells release hemoglobin, which breaks down into pigments Pigments cause skin to change color Bruise turns yellow as pigment breaks down and reenters bloodstream
Cuts Cut: any tear in the skin Blood flows until clot forms Scab covers opening to prevent bacteria from entering body Scar: thick tissue that forms to fill opening
Skin grafts Pieces of skin that are cut from one part of a person’s body and moved to another area Used for bad injuries or burns Must be taken from victim’s own body or an identical twin to be successful Skin transplants from cadavers or other sources will typically be rejected in a few weeks
Assignment – pick one! Pretend that you are skin, and you have just gotten a bruise or cut. Write a story (as the skin) explaining what has happened, including the healing process you must go through. Draw a diagram that shows how skin may get injured and how it repairs itself. Interview a skin cell, asking it to explain how it functions, the hard times in its life, and how it overcomes them. Due Monday, 3/7